PREPAREDNESS CHALLENGE 2021 COMPLETION FORM
Before you fill out the form below make sure you have completed ALL 4 STEPS
STOREFRONT SAFETY COUNCIL
FOCUS: EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION
Stop Vehicle-Into-Building and into Playground Crashes Before They Happen
Every year in the U.S., as many as 36,000 vehicles strike stores, offices, child care programs, bus stops, restaurants, and other storefronts, causing 16,000+ severe injuries and up to 2,600 deaths. Most are preventable.
The Problem
Vehicles crash into U.S. buildings more than 100 times a day, and early learning sites are no exception. An analysis of over 300 early childhood education specific incidents reveals that roughly half resulted in injuries. With classrooms and playgrounds often positioned just 25 feet from parking lots or drive lanes, a momentary pedal error during drop-off can breach the building's facade before anyone inside has time to react. This risk is frequent, foreseeable, and preventable, which is why practical, child-centered safeguards matter now more than ever.
Our Objective
The Institute for Childhood Preparedness is a proud partner of the Storefront Safety Council. Our goal is simple - to keep little learners, educators, and families safe where drop-off, pick-up, and play happen. Through the Council, we provide practical, evidence-based guidance that early childhood programs can use right away whether you’re in a leased storefront, a school building, a stand alone center, a religious facility, or a family child-care home.
The Solution
Our three-part series delivers practical, low-cost steps you can implement right away, designed specifically for early learning programs in leased storefronts, Head Start programs, stand-alone centers, faith-based sites, and family child-care homes.
What you’ll learn
Understand the risk (Part 1).
How and why low-speed, pedal-error crashes reach façades and playground edges, and what that means for drop-off, pick-up, and outdoor play.
Assess your site (Part 2).
Map impact zones, document hazards within 25 feet of parking/drive lanes, and prioritize feasible fixes that work within landlord, zoning, or historic constraints.
Apply affordable fixes (Part 3).
Layer protection with simple options: wheel stops/curbs, staff-car shielding, raised planters/landscape beds, lighting/striping, interior room layout, and plain-language drills, plus how to measure if changes are working.
